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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26433103">So Much Black Ink</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noble_Actual/pseuds/Noble_Actual'>Noble_Actual</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Halo (Video Games) &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, SPARTAN-III, Spartans Have Feelings, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:08:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26433103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noble_Actual/pseuds/Noble_Actual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The dark past of Noble Six is a mystery to many and a source of contention among Noble Team, however with the arrival of the Covenant on Reach, will they let this get in the way when the fate of the planet is in their hands?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Waste of Good Paper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>So Much Black Ink</h1>

<h3>A Waste of Good Paper</h3>
<p>Planet Reach, Epsilon Eridani System
July 24th 2552</p>
<p>"So this is the new Six then?" Carter muttered to himself as he read the file that was spread out across the holotable, censored religiously by ONI, no doubt to hide all the less than pleasant activities the Spartan had performed. From his initial glancing, only two parts weren't consored part way through, one was that he had initially been part of Beta Team, like Kat, but whether or not he'd been at Pegasi was, predictably, censored as were many of the answers he sought. The second was much more concerning, that his many years as a wet worker and the total loss of Beta Team had made him into quite the lone wolf while on operations, difficulties socialising even with other Spartans, abrupt mood changes on the occasion. Carter sighed before taking a seat, he could understand why a lone operative would be a lone wolf, but why would Command want to put him into a fire team that required close coordination and teamwork?</p>
<p>The whirring sound of the automatic door and clang of metal-on-metal took Carter from his thought, looking up to see Kat enter his quarters, her tanned and scarred face scrunched up as she read the wad of papers in her hands. As she neared Carter, she seemed to hesitantly tear her eyes from the document, but she handed them to Carter when he held out his hand; "Read anything interesting?" he asked sarcastically.</p>
<p>"Depends, where do you stand on being a murderous lapdog?" she shot back, folding her arms across her chest.</p>
<p>"You shouldn't have been reading those" Carter scolded, before looking down to the files handed to him. Whereas the files on the holotable were more akin to spilt ink on paper, these lacked any of the typical ONI secrecy "But thank you for getting them".</p>
<p>"This new Six is dangerous, Commander, I don't trust him" Kat said quickly, ignoring Carter's words "He's spent the past decade as the personal weapon of some ONI bigwig to eliminate just about anyone he wanted, from rebels to rivals"</p>
<p>"I'd agree with you, Kat, but this posting is from Colonel Holland himself, I've already tried arguing against it but it's no use"</p>
<p>"Clearly you didn't try hard enough" </p>
<p>"If you insist on being insubordinate in this matter, do it quietly and not in my presence" Carter looked up from the papers, his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw set "I have no doubt I'll have an earful regardless, but I'd prefer to read this file without any bias". Kat responded by pulling a similar face to Carter before starting to leave the quarters.</p>
<p>"Wait a second" Carter said, stopping Kat by the frame of the door, she looked back at him, trying to mask her confusion for a moment "I've already read that he was in Beta team-"</p>
<p>"If you're going to ask me if I know him, the answer is yes. Do I remember what he's like? No, but I doubt he'd be the same person he was when I knew him when we were children."</p>
<p>"And Pegasi?"</p>
<p>"I wouldn't know, i was pulled before it happened" she shrugged</p>
<p>"Strange" Carter muttered "Even the uncensored version doesn't mention Pegasi"</p>
<p>"Maybe he wasn't there then" Kat answered, her anger turning into annoyance "Is that all, Commander?"</p>
<p>"Yes Kat, thank you" he could hear the frustrated sigh she made as the door whirred shut but chose to ignore it, better to be more informed on the new Six before talking with her about it. Going in fully-loaded was better than half-cocked. His eyes scanned the uncensored papers greedily as he read through, eager to glean any information that ONI had attempted to deny him. His resume was impressive, nearly a hundred successful assassinations against both insurrectionists and Covenant, countless smash and grab operations, and the list of sabotage operations only included ten of the most tactically important before referring him to a set of records he wouldn't have access to. He realised that Kat had been underselling him, he was so much more than simply dangerous. Beneath his long list of accomplishments and commendations no one would ever know was, Carter found an apt description of him;</p>
<p>DESIGNATION: HYPER-LETHAL</p>
<p>He paused for a moment as he read that, re-reading it again afterwards. Carter had never seen anyone designation as hyper-lethal, not even Noble Four, who made lethality into his own personal weapon. He set the papers down, thinking deeply. Kat had been right though, he was not only a danger to the enemy, but also to the team. He could already see a hundred scenarios where Six's habits could kill them, be it him forgetting he was part of a team and leaving them to be slaughtered as he pursued to enemy, or some other cause, he couldn't be trusted. Carter had learned long ago not to trust anyone from ONI and this Spartan had been the personal tool of them for years, hell, he could even be spying for them for all they knew.</p>
<p>No, Carter decided, no he couldn't risk this lone wolf jeopardising the well being of his squad, and he would bring these concerns directly to Colonel Holland. He quickly keyed in Holland's information and sent a request to communicate with the Colonel. He glanced at the clock on the wall for a second, reading the time. 08:30, an hour before Noble Team was due to be briefed by Holland about their reason for being on Reach. Carter prayed that Holland would be in a forgiving mood to this early call. Within minutes the face of Holland appeared. Though only in his late forties, the stress of fighting a losing war was showing, the corners of his mouth with strained with wrinkles that he made no attempt to hide.</p>
<p>"Commander?" his voice came through the speakers, crackling as it did so "Briefing isn't for another hour, what requires my attention that you couldn't wait that long?"</p>
<p>"Sir, it's regarding the new Six you've chosen" Carter responded, straightening out as he did so.</p>
<p>"Ah, I see. Intelligence suggested that you had indeed acquired a copy of his uncensored file, and I assume that this call is related to that"</p>
<p>"Yes Sir, I felt it would've been inappropriate to talk about it in front of Noble Team" Carter answered quickly "The appearance of unified agreement would be better for morale"</p>
<p>"It's inappropriate to talk about it now, Commander, but I understand your concern" Holland conceded "The truth is that we had to fight tooth and nail to get B312 out of ONI's grasp."</p>
<p>"Why Colonel? He seems well suited to the needs of ONI from his file"</p>
<p>"He is, but we need his skillset in the open war. Fighting insurrectionists won't amount to much should humanity be wiped out in the process"</p>
<p>"I understand that, Sir, but why Noble Team? I was under the impression that I was the one who chose Noble's replacements"</p>
<p>"Normally, it would be, but we've caught wind of something big, Commander."</p>
<p>"Something big, Sir?" Carter felt his heartbeat quicken, usually Holland was more tight-lipped in regards to these matters, but to breach it like this? Something had him spooked.</p>
<p>"You heard me correct Commander, unfortunately protocol dictates I cannot give you any information until our suspicions are more than just suspicions" Holland replied "Now, unless there's anything thing else, you're dismissed until 09:30"</p>
<p>"Yes Sir" Carter went to disconnect the comlink</p>
<p>"One more thing Commander, if you find it necessary to question my judgements in future, give me more notice. And if you pull a stunt like this to get uncensored files again, there will be consequences, understood?"</p>
<p>"Crystal, Sir" Carter apologised before the connection was cut. He took a breath to compose himself, swearing that this was the last time he followed through with Kat's advice, but even as he thought it he knew it was a lie. He glanced up at the time, before collecting up the file that sat on his desk and set them into one of the desks, hiding them beneath a stack of old reports that he hadn't gotten around to disposing of yet. In their place he picked up his brief preparation notes, refreshing his memory as he made his way to the briefing room. The name Visegrád Relay stuck out to him for some reason, though he couldn't place why. The brief itself described it only as an important communications relay, gave little hint as to why Spartans would be needed there.</p>
<p>He shook his head as he entered the briefing room, finding it empty. Carter took his seat at the front of the room. Soon the other members of Noble Team would arrive and any questions he had would be answered, all he had to do was wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Missing Beacons and Other Warning Signs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Briefing's are rarely dull things</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>So Much Black Ink</h1>

<h3>Missing Beacons and Other Warning Signs</h3>

<p>
  <em>Planet Reach
Epsilon Eridani System
 July 24th 2552</em>
</p>
<p>"You look busy?" Jorge asked as his giant frame entered the briefing room, turning slightly to prevent his armour scratching on the frame. He removed his red visored Grenadier helmet as he took his seat, which looked laughable small compared to him and close to breaking at any moment. </p>
<p>"And you're early" Carter replied absent-mindedly, continuing to perusing the pre-briefing notes "I'm guessing you've read the notes as well"</p>
<p>"Yes boss, though I'm used to a little more briefing with my brief notes" Jorge admitted, hunching forwards "Usually they say more than just where we're going"</p>
<p>"You know the brass, Jorge, tightlipped about anything and everything, especially when it might be helpful to us" Carter said, looking over at Jorge. While Carter looked like a cookie-cutter officer, Jorge managed to outdo him in looking stereotypical, with a frighteningly short buzz cut that would've made him look bald if his hair were not black, which matched his close cut beard. "Really should shave that thing sometime" Carter joked, nodding towards his moustache. Jorge let out a soft chuckle.</p>
<p>"Maybe, though with the weather cooling, I'd like something to keep my lip warm, even slightly" he replied, Carter smirking in response. There was a brief moment of silence before Jorge spoke again "Passed Kat not long ago near the gym, something seemed to have annoyed her greatly"</p>
<p>"Before you say anything more, that would be me. She came to me to talk about the new Six today" Carter said curtly, turning to face the wall ahead "Wasn't too pleased with my actions in regard to it"</p>
<p>"You read his file?" Jorge asked, leaning back.</p>
<p>"Mostly black ink, waste of good paper really. Though thankfully Kat managed to get a copy uncensored" Carter answered, surprised when Jorge chuckled softly.</p>
<p>"Ah, so she read it then, even the bad parts" Jorge said.</p>
<p>"From Kat's reaction, you'd think it were all bad parts"</p>
<p>"And is it?"</p>
<p>"Not for me to say. Colonel Holland said he was coming to Noble, I just have to accept that and get Noble working with him, even with reservations" Carter stated with finality, taking a few moments before adding "Besides, it's nice to have Noble back at full strength, after Thom's death" The door whirred open as Emile, Noble Four, stepped inside, a confident swagger filling his every step.</p>
<p>"Feel free to say that around Kat, Sir" he said, revealing he'd heard his last comment, Jorge shook his head in response "What's the matter, big man?"</p>
<p>"She and Thom were close, joking about it won't help any of us move on"</p>
<p>"And feeling sorry for ourselves isn't gonna bring him back" Emile shot back, Jorge rising quickly with his fists balled. The two Spartans squared up, Jorge towering over Emile and looking straight through Emile's skull marked helmet.</p>
<p>"Cut it out, now" Carter ordered, his voice cutting through the tension that was quickly mounting "I won't lose a Spartan to infighting". Jorge and Emile remained where they were for a second, before Jorge slowly lowered himself back to his seat, with Emile following shortly after, a soft laugh coming from his helmet. Carter's eyes glanced at Jorge, who didn't respond to it with his jaw slowly grinding. The three men sat in silence for the next ten minutes until Jun and Kat finally arrived, five minutes before the briefing was due to start. A short round of 'Good mornings' followed as the two Spartans took their seats, the sound of paper flipping soon replacing any conversation as they set about refreshing their memories.</p>
<p>The sound of the door whirring brought all their heads to look up, seeing the surprisingly small frame of Colonel Holland stepping inside. Immediately, Noble Team stood up and saluted, Holland returning in kind.</p>
<p>"At ease" Holland said, his voice teeming with authority. The Spartans took their seats. "I see you've all been catching up all the relevant data, hopefully not for the first time". Carter spoke first;</p>
<p>"Colonel, we weren't expecting you, I was under the impression you were on the <em>Grafton</em> in orbit" he asked, not letting his confusion show too obviously.</p>
<p>"Until last night, I was, however the arrival of Spartan B-312 has been sped up and is due today. I wished to be here when he arrived." Holland answered, switching on the holoscreen projector that sat on the wall they faced.</p>
<p>"Six is arriving today?" Jun asked, clearly surprised.</p>
<p>"Yes, any minute to be precise. On normal days, I would wait for him until I started the brief, but this operation is far too pressing to delay it any further" Holland replied, stepping to the side of the screen. Pressing a button on the remote in his hand, the screen flickered to show the image of Visegrád Relay, a sleek, though grey, looking building at odds with the more rugged and mountainous landscape that it was snuggled into. The complex itself was dominated by a large first pronged satellite dish.</p>
<p>"Cozy" Emile muttered to himself.</p>
<p>"This, Spartans, is Visegrád Relay. A familiar name, I'm sure, it's importance to the entire UNSC is paramount, as it forms a pentafecta relay system that keeps Reach in communication with the rest of the UNSC and, more importantly, allows us to boost messages from Earth to whatever Outer Colonies are left. Three nights ago, the relay went offline, putting significant strain of the rest of the system and slowing messages to the front. This delay is unacceptable." Holland revealed, pressing his button again to reveal an aerial image of the complex and it's surrounding area.</p>
<p>"There aren't any backup relays, sir?" Jorge asked, his left elbow resting on his corresponding knee.</p>
<p>"None that are strong enough to reach as far out as Visegrád. We dispatched a team of engineers to the Relay to get it back online, they've since gone silent, the only message we received from them was the briefest distress beacon before that too went offline." He press again, the aerial map showing a brief clip of the beacon being turned on and off on repeat.</p>
<p>"Any trooper squads deployed? This doesn't reek of Spartan deployment" Kat asked, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed, her face darkened by the projector.</p>
<p>"No, ONI requested Spartan presence personally" Holland replied, making no effort  to shield the facts.</p>
<p>"ONI asked? This got all the more interesting" Emile joked, which receiving a disapproving head shake from Holland.</p>
<p>"Save the unnecessary comments for later, but yes, ONI requested your deployment. Some of Special Weapons Command expressed concern at this, however ONI also mentioned they had a small research facility at the Relay that handled information deemed unsuited to regular troopers hands."</p>
<p>"Sounds like they're suspecting a massacre went down" Jun said, his voice muffled by his helmet.</p>
<p>"Indeed, but not without concern. A similar incident happened a year ago on Brigand. Insurrections cut the power and seized broke into the ONI offices there, though we've been reassured any information taken wasn't vital to the war effort.</p>
<p>"ONI and insurrectionists? Sounds perfect for our new Noble Six" Kat muttered, her words tinged with venom and her face in a slight snarl.</p>
<p>"Your concerns about Spartan B-312 are duly noted" Holland began, walking with calm and controlled composure towards Kat, every step brimming with authority and confidence, he came to a stop in front of her chair and leaned forwards, arms crossed neatly behind his back "However, they are unnecessary. I'm already aware of your accessing of confidential information, do not bring insubordination on list of possible charges, understood?"</p>
<p>"Yes Sir" Kat replied, reluctantly after a few moments.</p>
<p>"Good" Holland said, straightening himself and returning to the front of the briefing room and prepared to continue the brief before the door's whirred open, bathing the darkened room in a brilliant white light, obscuring the armoured figure in the doorway. Slowly, the automatic lights in the room flickered on, revealing brief glimpses of the figure, his armour a steel grey with highlighted areas of yellow. </p>
<p>"Ah, Noble Six, nice of you to join us" Holland finally said after a brief moment of silence that felt like an eternity that would never end. The figure stepped into the room, his back straight and chest puffed. He wore his helmet, a bugged-eyed  Security helmet with a golden visor, while his armour clearly made for recon, with his chest dominated by a number of pouches, in addition to the trauma kit that clung to his outer thigh. His thick shoulders pads were both clearly GUNGNIR, with a number of dents and scratches showing they'd saved his life numerous times.</p>
<p>"Doesn't look the stealth type" Carter heard Emile whisper to Jun, who nodded in response.</p>
<p>"A Security helmet? I wasn't aware that was suitable to MJOLNIR armour" Jorge admitted to himself quietly.</p>
<p>"It isn't" Six''s voice came out muffled, but sounded almost casual, Jorge's eyebrows raised in surprise to Six answering him "It's being field tested"</p>
<p>"Socialise on your own time." Holland said, glancing at them "Six, if you would" he added, gesturing to the spare seats. Six nodded in response, taking an empty seat between Carter and Jorge.</p>
<p>"Man of few words" heard Jun whisper, though whether Six heard him, Carter wasn't sure.</p>
<p>"Carter, catch Six up on the ride over to Visegrád, time is too pressing to repeat any information. Continuing on, ONI and SPECWEP both agree that insurrectionist presence on Reach is unacceptable, so you are granted extreme prejudice in eliminating any insurrectionists you locate at the Relay".</p>
<p>"Seems a pretty bold assumption that it was the Insurrectionists that pulled this off, I doubt they'd have the manpower to silence an entire relay station, especially after CLEAN SWEEP" Carter offered, looking from the displayed map and Holland, who nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"Similar concerns have been floated at SPECWEP, however the possibility that a Covenant fleet was able to sneak past all watch stations and satellites the guard Reach is near impossible, however, as i mentioned to you, Commander, earlier, we have caught wind of something big" Holland stated, pressing a button. A moment of darkness overtook the room as the slides switched, which revealed the flat face of one of the Covenant's Hierarch, it's elongated, snake-like neck crested by a large, ornate golden symbol that floated above it's hunched back. The clip began to play, the Hierarch's voice coming out like a choral choir before the translation softward kicked in;</p>
<p>
  <em>"All ye faithful, listen to your leaders! This Holy destruction of the vile filth is almost at it's glorious conclusion! The path we have taken for the Great Journey has been long, arduous, and painful, but alas, all things worthy of our great Covenant do not come freely. Already, we gather our strength to root these cowering defilers from their final, pathetic holes!" the clip ceased playing, bringing the room to silence.</em>
</p>
<p>
  "A Prophet?" Jorge asked in disbelief.
</p>
<p>
  "Indeed, we believe they have finally discovered the location of Earth, and are preparing to attack" Holland said grimly
</p>
<p>
  "Then what are we doing here?" Emile asked, his voice rising with anger "What good are we on this rock when we could be preparing for whatever they throw at Earth?"
</p>
<p>
  "Because this Prophet, is the Prophet of Truth. Research shows that he acts as the leading figure of the triumvirate of Prophets that lead the Covenant. And we're going to capture him."
</p>
<p>
  "Capture a Prophet? Why not just kill the bastard" Emile replied, moving his arms in mounting frustration "Save us a whole lot of trouble".
</p>
<p>
  "Because then we have leverage" Noble Six answered unprompted "Cut off the head of the snake, let the body die. Either we attack them with surprise, they disintegrate, or we force them to the negotiation table"
</p>
<p>
  "Astute eye, Six. Should we capture the powerhouse of their leadership, we leave the Covenant at a standstill at what to do. The Pillar of Autumn is already prepped for this endeavour, with a Spartan-II team ready to take the bastard"
</p>
<p>
  "It's John who's leading it, isn't it?" Jorge asked, though Carter assumed he already knew the answer.
</p>
<p>
  "Affirmative, Blue Team, led by John-117, are conducting the operation, and we need Visegrád Relay back online to guide them to where we have their capital city located." Holland replied, pressing a button and setting the screen back to the aerial photo of the Relay complex "You're to take two Falcon aircraft to three clicks south of the complex, from there, you'll trek along the edge of these cliffs" he added, revealing a relief map of the complex "Which should bring you to the complex. How you enter is your discretion, however I would suggest recon of the area first"
</p>
<p>
  "You couldn't do that?" Jun asked sarcastically.
</p>
<p>
  "Unfortunately, heavy cloud cover has left it unpenetrable to satellite observation, and sending drones was deemed too risky in case of being spotted. In any case, the Relay station must be brought back online. Now, if there aren't any questions, this briefing has dragged on long enough" Holland finished, clicking a button that shut off the projector, which in turn allowed the room to be bathed in the sanitary bright white light. The Spartans, except for Six and Carter, all slowly rose from their seats and moved to leave the briefing room. As Carter moved towards the exit, Six joined him.
</p>
<p>
  "Commander" Six greeted.
</p>
<p>
  "Lieutenant, i apologise for the lack of introductions but time was of the essence. Regardless, I'm Carter, Noble Team's leader" Carter replied, slipping on his Commando variant helmet "The two in front are Emile and Jun, Three and Four, beyond them are Jorge and Kat, Five and Two, it may take time to put names to faces"
</p>
<p>
  "I'm a fast learner, sir" Six said, stepping to the side to allow Carter to exit the building first. Stepping outside, his helmet took a second to adjust from the blinding white of the hallways to the dimmer light of Reach's early mornings, made dimmer by the large mountains the ran along the edge of the valley that the UNSC Base <em>Viking</em> sat in.
</p>
<p>
  "I'm sure you are, but I won't lie to you, Lieutenant, you're stepping into shoes that most of the squad would rather leave unfilled. Me? I'm just happy to have Noble at full strength again and I read your file, even the dark stuff ONI didn't want anyone knowing" Carter admitted as they moved quickly towards the waiting falcon's, he nodded to Jun who was already waiting in the Falcon "Just know I'm happy to have someone with your skillset, but just remember, we're a team. That lone wolf, gunslinger business? That stays behind with ONI, understand?"
</p>
<p>
  "Crystal, Sir" Six answered, taking his seat on the falcon next to Jun. He gripped the bottom of the seat tightly as the Falcon began to lift off.
</p>
<p>
  "Not a fan of flying?" Carter asked jokingly, though Six left the question unanswered, instead gazing at the surrounding area.
</p>
<p>
  "Welcome to Noble" Jun said loudly over the sound of the twin rotating blades, placing his hand on Six's shoulder, he glanced back and nodded in response. A man of few words indeed, Carter thought to himself.
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Trying real hard to give chapter titles the vibe of the games themselves, lemme know if it's working. Also if you got any improvements or suggestions, I'm always happy to hear it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Things Tend To Go South</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When we don't keep an eye on them</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>So Much Black Ink</h1><h3>Things Tend To Go South</h3><p>
  <em>Planet Reach
Epsilon Eridani System
 July 24th 2552</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jun</em>
</p><p>The Visegrád Range, from which the Relay took it's name, were nothing short of impressive, even to the well-travelled eyes of Jun-A266. The summits reached out high into the sky, their slopes filled with jagged rock, while further down their sides the ground was less angry, with fields of muted green grass and trees ranging in colour from red to orange. Had he been a civilian, he might've taken a photo to commemorate the rare sight of the trees in bloom. Instead, his eyes were trained on the all the narrow trails that snaked around the peaks.</p><p>As the falcon rounded the sheer face of the mountains, they view changed to a self-contained plateau, surrounded on all sides by rocky hills with bone-thin trees clinging desperately onto the sides. At the heart of the plateau sat the Relay station, it's sleek design and large communications dish sticking out like a sore thumb. Turning on thermals, the view turned into a sea of dark blues, though he doubted they'd show anything at this range.</p><p>"Can't see anything this far out, sir" he reported, turning his head to face Carter.</p><p>"Noted" Carter responded, before bringing his finger up to the side of his helmet, initiating a squad wide communication "Thermals read clear at this distance, however I want your eyes sharp, wouldn't be the first time the Innies hid from thermal"</p><p>"I'm sure Six could find them, for the right price" Kat responded, the static of the radio masking what Jun presumed to be venom. He risked a quick glance towards Six, but found him unresponsive.</p><p>"Cut it, on operations I want clear heads. How you feel about each other comes after the mission." Carter barked, clearly annoyed at Kat's persistence in voicing his dislike of Six. If it were anyone else, they would've been thrown off the falcon. Jun shook his head, he always did have a soft spot for her. They travelled in silence till arriving at the LZ, a small field of ploughed land with a reasonably sized structure nearby.</p><p>"Farming, up here?" Jun asked as the others disembarked.</p><p>"Installations this remote like to be self-sufficient, soil's pretty fertile considering the area" Jorge responded, making an audible <em>'umph</em> as he pulled his treasured turret off the falcon.</p><p>"Try not to ruin the rows then" Emile joked, treading carefully "Takes a buncha manpower to get it done right"</p><p>"This mission may be considered a field run, but I want normal operational conditions, com-chatter to a minimum. Jun, I want your eyes in the sky, keep us informed about what's up ahead" Carter ordered "Come on, Six". Jun looked to see their newest member stand up and jump of the falcon in a fluid motion, bringing his DMR up to bear just a swiftly.</p><p>"Roger that" Jun said, bringing his sniper up and adjusting the scope as the falcon brought itself back up "Pilot, bring us closer to that structure, I want a good look at it"</p><p>"Sure thing" came the reply, with the falcon adjusting its heading soon after. Looking through the scope, Jun felt some unease rising. The building was a two story circular building that surrounded a central courtyard, while a small garage hung on the side, though what uneased him was the lack of activity it had. A building like this could easily fit 10, maybe even 20 people, but it was utterly empty, as the falcon circled the building, Jun's eye caught something that piqued his interest.</p><p>"Commander, the structure ahead, it's interior northern wall has a truck punched through the wall, seems like it came through the eastern wall, by the garage" Jun effortlessly switched to his thermals "Though thermals are still clear, even the engine's gone cold".</p><p>"Spooky" Emile commented.</p><p>"Understood, Emile, Jorge, check it out." Carter ordered. Jun watched as the two armoured figures approached the building calmly with their weapons raised. Kicking down one of the entrance doors, they disappeared inside the building for a few moments.</p><p>"Engineer's located, Commander, what's left of them, anyway" Jorge voice crackled through the radio, and Jun's heartbeat quickened. He took his vision from the structure and scanned attentively all the nooks and crannies that dominated the stony hills, fearing the sight of purple and orange.</p><p>"Looks like they stuck a gun on the truck, used it like a Warthog, whatever use it brought them" Emile reported back "Whole lotta blood though"</p><p>"Roger, Jun, any explosive damage?" Carter asked, snapping Jun back to reality. He hummed quietly as his eyes ran of the building, looking for any black marks.</p><p>"Negative sir, looks like ballistic damage from here" he answered back, cocking his sniper.</p><p>"What about plasma?" Kat asked.</p><p>"Doubtful, not on Reach" Jorge shot back quickly.</p><p>"Innies have been known to use plasma weapons, but no obvious signs" Jun reported back.</p><p>"Kat, you'll be wanting this" Emile said, his figure appearing back in the light of day, clutching a brilliant red handheld device and tossing it to her "Looks military".</p><p>"Distress beacon, probably what the sensors picked up for a moment" Kat replied, catching it.</p><p>"Wonder what shut it off" Jun said to himself, scanning the horizon through his sniper scope again. Something in the distance caught his eye, the briefest flash of movement hidden behind a bush "Commander, I can see movement on the other side of the hill, looks like another structure. Walled, hill doesn't look too friendly either, I'd suggest going around".</p><p>"Copy that, Noble, on the double" Carter ordered, his previously cautious walking speed swapped out with a hurried sprint. Despite the speeds they travelled at, from above they maintained a tight V formation, none of the Spartans slowing or shifting from position. One of the benefits of being trained since childhood. As the falcon passed over the jagged hill, Jun took in his improved view. He caught his breath in shock. The courtyard was a mess, a handful of bodies lay strewn about the complex, while the walls and gates themselves were in tatters, concrete blasted to shreds by something powerful. He switched to thermals and let out a shaky breath of relief.</p><p>"Commander, two heat sigs in the structure ahead, though I think I found the original staff, multiple casualties" he reported over the squad's com-link, each of the blinking back confirmation. He watched their sprint quickly slow to a more cautious approach, splitting from a V formation to two hidden among the banks of the road that led to the structure. He watch Six and Emile hop over the ruined wall and sweep their guns from side to side.</p><p>"Clear" Six reported, in a voice Jun found chillingly unaffected by the carnage. Kat and Carter filed afterwards inside while Jorge set up a defensive watch by the entrace, his heavy gun trained on the woodline. They approached the small building, all four lining along the wall before breaching, even without his coms on, he could hear the noise over the sound of the falcon's engines. A panicked scream and a gunshot sounded, sending any resting birds fleeing.</p><p>"Fill me in Commander, what was that?" Jun asked, aiming his sniper towards the door they'd entered and resting his finger gingerly over the trigger. However, the Kat and Six quickly exited the building, followed by two civilians, a male and female, and Carter behind them.</p><p>"Our wetworker decided to shoot first, ask questions later, nearly killed the survivors!" Kat answered back in the coms, clearly enraged.</p><p>"That's enough Kat!" Carter ordered, bending his arm and pointing to the sky "Jorge, I need you inside for translating, I'll deal with Six". Jun watched Carter approach Six and pull him aside forcefully, though from Jun's perspective, it looked like Six had said something that shook him to the core, judging by how he suddenly stood very still.</p><p>"Commander, the survivors are sanitary workers and saying something about monster's attacking in the night, they only survived as they were out doing something I'd rather not report" Jorge translated, though it was met by silence "Sir?" he asked, looking over to Carter, who had re-entered the building following Six.</p><p>"Monsters?" Jun asked</p><p>"Noble Team, be alert, we've got Needler rounds in here" Carter reported to them, his voice grim. Jun felt his heart sink and beat faster at the same time. Only one explanation for how Needler rounds found their way in the middle of a housing structure in the most isolated region of Reach, and it was not the explanation that Jun had been hoping for. He gripped his sniper a little tighter.</p><p>
  <em>Jorge</em>
</p><p>"Repeat that Sir, did you say Needler rounds?" Jorge asked in disbelief, taking off his helmet and blinking for a few moments as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight. He turned his head from the shaking and terrified survivors to the entrance. Carter walked outside soon after, holding one of the damned glowing pink crystals that would detonate inside a man and leave him in pieces.</p><p>"Affirmative. From here on, I'm declaring Winter Contingency, as far as I'm concerned, anyone who's not currently present is an enemy combatant, clear" Carter barked, crushing the crystal in his fist before more solidly gripping his DMR. The squad gave back a wave of confirmations, Jorge shaking his head.</p><p>"No, not on Reach, it can't be" he muttered to himself.</p><p>"Cheer up, big man, this whole plateau just turned into a free fire zone" Emile stated, cocking his shotgun to reinforce his point. Jorge turned his head and snarled at Emile, feeling his blood boil.</p><p>"Antagonise each other later, I want this Team working cohesively from here on" Carter looked up at the hovering Falcon "Jun, report to Command we've encountered Covenant weaponry and survivor statements to back it up"</p><p>"On it, Sir" agonising moments of silence passed before Jun spoke again "Getting serious interference, Sir, no way to get through to Command. If I were any smarter, I'd say we were being jammed"</p><p>"Got it, you heard it, Command is not accompanying us until we get that Relay back online" Carter stated.</p><p>"We're still turning the Relay on?" Kat asked, her anger from before replaced with disconnected professionalism.</p><p>"Those were our orders, if we can get visual confirmation of Covenant presence here, then turning the Relay back online reinforces Reach's defences" Carter answered, looking towards Jorge.</p><p>"Copy that, Sir" Jorge said, slipping his helmet back on. His saw the civilians again, who had faded from his mind as soon as the Needlers were mentioned "What about the civilians? We can't leave them here".</p><p>"Jun, get that second Falcon here, I want them to perform and evac on them to the nearest UNSC base"</p><p>"Sir"</p><p>"No second Falcon? That leaves us with no exit" Six said, stepping forwards. Jorge looked over at Six, his emotions conflicted. While tactically, Six was right, leaving them with no exit plan for at least half the team was foolish and Jorge could only imagine the punishment they'd received if Mendez or Deja had heard them suggest otherwise, but it didn't feel right to leave them surrounded by their fallen friends.</p><p>"I spotted a sheltered area just south of your position, little cave area, should be safe enough for them while we deal with the Relay station" Jun offered to them, Carter nodded.</p><p>"That'll have to do for the time being, Jorge, tell them" Carter ordered. Jorge nodded and set about translating.</p><p>"They say they're familiar with it" he reported back as the two civilians set off at a quick jog.</p><p>"Ch'yeah, wonder why" Emile chided before setting off towards the Relay. Hefty Etilka up, he started to follow after Noble Team. Carter motioned to Jorge to come closer, reaching up and setting his hand on Jorge's shoulder.</p><p>"Jorge" he said, his voice filled with the type of pity reserved for a child who'd lost their parent "I want you in the Falcon, you can keep them pinned down while we advanced, if they're actually here".</p><p>"On it" Jorge replied, brushing Carter's hand from his shoulder, watching him disappear as he exited the compound in pursuit of Noble Team. The Falcon arrived shortly after, Jorge comfortably slotting himself behind Etilka, which was nestled into where the Falcon's armaments would typically be. He watched the compound shrink as the Falcon gained height and distance from it. From here, the bodies disappeared and it looked more like a derelict than the site of a massacre.</p><p>"You alright?" Jun's voice came through, crackling due to the weakness of a private com channel.</p><p>"Yeah" Jorge replied, looking up and seeing Jun's falcon grow in the distance "Was only a matter of time till the Covenant found Reach."</p><p>"We're gonna have our hands full kicking the bastards off the planet" Jun said jokingly, earning a soft chuckle from Jorge. He appreciated the gesture Jun put forwards.</p><p>"Shit!" he heard the pilot call as the Falcon swung on its axis quickly, almost sending Jorge flying from the seat had he not locked himself in.</p><p>"What's the matter, pilot?" Jorge asked into the aircraft's intercom.</p><p>"Multiple hostiles spotted, main courtyard of the Relay complex" He heard Jun call into the squad's comlink. Looking behind him he saw a charged ball of green plasma fade out into the distance, turning his head back he saw the Relay station enter into view, it's main courtyard covered with figures. Large, hunched over ones covered in coloured armour that ranged from blue to red, tiny figures with large, triangular backpacks, while more stick-like, hunched over birds wandered the edges.</p><p>"Hostiles? It's the damned Covenant" Jorge confirmed into the coms, pulling back on Etilka's cocking handing and opening fire, the deep sound of gunfire tearing through the previously calm morning. He watched the bullets tear through concrete, rip through flesh and armour, sending bodies collapsing and blood flying. Carter was right, the Covenant were on Reach.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here we go!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Distractions Are Easy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If you make them loud enough, that is.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>So Much Black Ink</h1>

<h3>Distractions Are Easy</h3>

<p>
  <em>Planet Reach
Epsilon Eridani System
 July 24th 2552</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Six</em>
</p>
<p>"Hostiles? It's the damned Covenant" Jorge spat through the coms, the acid in his voice clear as day. Six's brows furrowed as he quickly turned his head towards the Relay complex, it's dominant satellite dish had only just started to crest over the hill, like a mechanical sunrise. He cocked his gun quickly and gritted his teeth before facing Carter.</p>
<p>"Sir, we've got to pull Noble Five and Three back before they ge-" Six was quickly cut off by Carter raising his finger to his helmet, indicating silence, before cupping his hand around his ear and pressing himself against a tree. Six followed suit, raising his DMR towards the treeline.</p>
<p>"Sounds like Grunts, sir" Emile reported, Six nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"Scans indicates methane signatures" Kat added in, though this time through the helmets comlinks.</p>
<p>"Alright, I want them taken out quietly while Jorge and Jun have them busy, then we'll figure out what to do. On my mark." Carter ordered, locking his rifle to the mag-clamps on his back. Six gently set his by the side of the tree he was concealed behind and slowly drew his knife from its scabbard on his chest, turning it in his grip so that it faced behind him. He glanced at his motion tracker. Five red dots getting closer. He calmed his increasing heartbeat, he'd been in worse situations before. </p>
<p><em>But you've never fought the Covenant before</em> a voice rang out in the quiet. Six's head shot about, trying to find its source, his grip tightening around his knife as he became increasingly frustrated at finding nothing.</p>
<p>"Wetworker, got your head on right?" Kat asked, trace amounts of concern in her voice. Six answered with a thumbs up held close to him, blinking slowly behind his visor. He glanced back tow his motion sensor, the red dots almost on top of his position. Taking a quick breath, Six spun around from his hiding spot and shot out his hand. The grunt in front of him barely had time to react before its methane breather was torn from its face, the faint <em>hiss</em> of running gas was all the noise it made before a knife plunged into its fist sized skull. He yanked the knife free from its skull, looking up to see a grunt stopped in its tracks. As if on instinct, Six flung the knife towards the grunt, watching it impale itself in the centre of the grunt's skull. In the space of five seconds, Six had dispatched two grunts before they'd even gotten a chance to react. Almost simultaneously, the other members of Noble burst from their hiding spots and attacked, Carter diving onto the nearest grunt and broke its skull in with a furious punch square in its face, while Kat grabbed one that had walked past and snapped its neck quickly, however Emile took longer with the grunt left for him, letting it release a short scream of terror before slashing his kukri knife across its face, sending it to the ground, dead.</p>
<p>"You mind telling me what that was all about?" Carter demanding, moving up in Six's face as soon as the grunts had been silenced.</p>
<p>"Sir?" Six asked, tilting his head in confusion. </p>
<p>"I said on my mark, that's the second time you've compromised operational conditions and placed this squad in danger" Carter answered furiously "I said cut the lone wolf stuff, and that means following orders when they're given, am i clear?"</p>
<p>"Sir" Six replied, nodding "I'm sorry for my misconduct"</p>
<p>"Don't be sorry, you jump the gun like that against actual threats, then we're all dead, so pay attention to my orders." Carter snapped back, and Six felt himself grit his teeth beneath his helmet, his anger rising at being treated as though he'd never been in combat before.</p>
<p><em>"Not against the Covenant"</em> the same voice echoed in the back of his head. Again Six looked around for the source of the voice, but again it proved fruitless.</p>
<p>"As much as I love a domestic, I think we have bigger issues to deal with than someone killing grunts too quickly" Emile chimed in, nodding his head in the direction of the complex.</p>
<p>"You're right" Carter muttered after a moment of silence, bringing his finger up to his inter-com "Jun, Jorge, what's your status?"</p>
<p>"You're alive then" Jun's voice came through sarcastically "We've been trying to get through for the past minute. Managed to pull back without significant damage, but Jorge's falcon went down and I haven't heard from him since."</p>
<p>"Where?" Carter demanded almost too forcefully. Six raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet.</p>
<p>"Just outside of the Relay's walls, thermals are showing Covenant moving to inspect it. Fast." Jun reported back.</p>
<p>"Right, Jun, stall their advance best you can, you know the drill."</p>
<p>"Yes sir, elite's first" Jun replied before his channel crackled to silence as a sniper rifle broke the silence of the forest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the short chapter, but I started writing this late and wanted to get something out, promise the next one'll be bigger with like explosions and that.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My first piece of writing ever, so please forgive me for any mistakes I make, can only really go up from here. Also have no idea how to do paragraphs, so that's fun.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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